The Oklahoma City Thunder have done such a magnificent job of building a top-flight team since moving from Seattle that criticizing them has almost become forbidden. Their growth over the last three years from a lottery team to one that has gone a combined 152-78 and advanced to the 2012 NBA Finals has formed a blueprint that many teams across the league are following.

“We are the Western Conference champs,” Perkins told Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman. “So at the end of the day, we’re not chasing nobody except for the ring. We’re chasing Miami to get a championship. It’s no guarantee who is going to be where. But we earned the Western champs so we’re not chasing the Lakers, we’re chasing a championship and that’s what it’s about.”e21121

When the news of Howard going to the Lakers were made official, Perkins says it gave him more motivation to work during the summer and is also a bit relieved all of the pressure has seemingly shifted over to Los Angeles.64t45234

Now in his fourth NBA season, a lot will be expected from DeMar DeRozan. Colangelo has labeled DeRozan as a face of the franchise in the past and ensured the young wing has been given every opportunity to play and develop. This year, a more mature looking DeRozan unexpectedly set his personal goal at an All-Star level after competing with the 2012 USA Men’s Select Team.
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“It was just really a shame because on one hand you could say so many great things about me as a player and my impact on the floor, and not only on the floor but off the floor, like we did so many great things in the community,” Allen said. “That was my community, and I supported it as much as I could. We had some foundation initiatives that we still continue to do, so that doesn’t change me.”